The short story “The Purloined Letter” is one of the first modern detective stories. It pits the cunning detective, Dupin, against a bafflingly elegant puzzle. Poe’s early “tales of ratiocination” laid the groundwork for later fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Nancy Drew.
The Purloined Letter Summary - Edgar Allan Poe Plot Diagram
Storyboard Text
Slide: 1
EXPOSITION
The Prefect of the Paris police goes to see C. August Dupin, a private eye, who recently helped him solve ‘The Murders of Rue Morgue’. His new case is about a stolen letter!
Slide: 2
CONFLICT
A letter was stolen from a powerful lady. The main suspect is Minister D, a man who Dupin has bad blood with.
Slide: 3
RISING ACTION
The prefect searches the minister's apartment and comes up empty. When he returns to see Dupin, the private eye gives the prefect the letter.
Slide: 4
CLIMAX
Plain Sight
Dupin explains how he was able to think like the thief and recover the letter!
Slide: 5
FALLING ACTION
Dupin supplanted the letter with an identical, which reads, “So baneful a scheme, if not worthy of Atreus, is worthy of Thyestes.”
Slide: 6
RESOLUTION
Dupin is able to solve the case and get revenge for a wrong committed against him by the Minister.
Slide: 0
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